A news conference will be held at 5 pm today at the fire hall on Okanagan Centre Road to update the fire and to give media a tour through the fire zone.

Update: 8:48 am

Overnight, fire crews from across the Okanagan snuffed out active fires inside the approximately 30-hectare Okanagan Centre wildfire.

Early this morning it was reported to be 80 per cent contained, although overnight crews continued to fight active fires inside the containment boundary.

Lake Country fire crews are receiving help today from neighbouring fire departments in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland, Ellison and Joe Rich. As well, BC Wildfire Service firefighters are on the scene.

It’s been reported as many as ten structures have sustained damage in the fire. Detailed and more accurate assessments will be done to confirm damage figures later today.

The Evacuation Order and Alert remains in place this morning. The Evacuation Order for 331 properties within the Okanagan Centre area includes homes along a section of Okanagan Centre Road West, Nighthawk and Tyndall Roads. A detailed map showing the properties within the Evacuation Order area is available at www.cordemergency.ca/map.

Evacuated residents are requested to register at the Emergency Support Services reception centre if they haven’t done so already. It’s open at the Salvation Army Church in Kelowna at 1480 Sutherland Avenue to provide assistance and group lodging.

Residents of 657 properties are on Evacuation Alert and must be prepared to leave on short notice should conditions change requiring them to leave their homes. A map showing properties within the Evacuation Alert area can be viewed at www.cordemergency.ca/map.

The Okanagan Centre wildfire is reported to be 80 per cent contained. It’s estimated at approximately 30 hectares in size and is still active.

Overnight, Lake Country firefighters are being supported on the ground with fire crews and equipment from Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland, Ellison, Joe Rich, Armstrong, BX Swan Lake and the BC Wildfire Service.

While there’s significant containment around the wildfire, crews are still actively fighting fires inside the area.

Fire crews are also monitoring the fire overnight to put out any spot fires that may ignite in unburned fuel.

An Evacuation Order is in place for 331 properties within the Okanagan Centre area including homes along a section of Okanagan Centre Road West, Nighthawk and Tyndall Roads. A detailed map showing the properties within the Evacuation Order area is available at www.cordemergency.ca/map.

Residents have been registering at the Emergency Support Services reception centre. It’s open at the Salvation Army Church in Kelowna at 1480 Sutherland Avenue to provide assistance and group lodging.

Residents of 657 properties are on Evacuation Alert and must be prepared to leave on short notice should conditions change requiring them to leave their homes. A map showing properties within the Evacuation Alert area can be viewed at www.cordemergency.ca/map.

It’s anticipated the next update will be approximately 9:00 am this morning.

Update: 11:15 pm July 15

Residents had literally minutes to flee their homes due to a fast moving wildfire in Lake Country.

It broke out Saturday afternoon around 4:30 pm on Okanagan Centre Road West, and was fought from the ground and air by Lake Country and other fire departments, and the BC Wildfire Service.

Fire chief Steve Windsor said at the time it was a tough fire to fight due to the strong wind gusts.

“That’s correct and the terrain is very hilly. It moved about a kilometre up the hillside.”

Some homes were lost, which Global TV reports were in the Tyndall ad Nighthawk Road areas, but it’s not known how many.

About 330 homes were evacuated.

The regional district of Central Okanagan says the fire was still burning as of 11 pm Saturday.

“At this point this is still an active fire. It’s reported as many as ten structures have been impacted by the fire but an accurate assessment will be done once the fire has been contained,” stated a news release.

It’s not known what caused the fire which was last listed at 30 hectares.

“We have eleven fixed wing aircraft, one helicopter, and ground crews working with the Lake Country department,” said Justine Hunse from the Wildfire Service. “It is displaying rank three fire behaviour which is a vigorous surface fire, potentially with some candling,” Hunse told Kiss FM around 9 pm.

Update: 11:10 pm

Release from Central Okanagan Regional District Emergency Program

Residents from approximately 330 properties have been evacuated from several roads within the Okanagan Centre area of Lake Country due to this afternoon’s wildfire.

An initial door to door evacuation was done as the fire began in the vicinity of Okanagan Centre Road West and 14th Street. The fire is now estimated at approximately 30-hectares in size.

A detailed map showing the properties within the Evacuation Order area is available at www.cordemergency.ca/map

Residents that are out of their homes should report to the Emergency Support Services reception centre that is open to assist them at the Kelowna Salvation Army Church, 1480 Sutherland Avenue (Sutherland and Burtch). Residents must report to receive any assistance and group lodging.

In addition, an Evacuation Alert has been issued for residents of 657 properties. These residents should be prepared to leave their homes at a moments notice should fire conditions change and an evacuation become necessary. A map showing properties within the Evacuation Alert area can be viewed at www.cordemergency.ca/map.

At this point this is still an active fire. It’s reported as many as ten structures have been impacted by the fire but an accurate assessment will be done once the fire has been contained.

Air and ground crews are working this blaze which was reported just after 4:30 this afternoon above Okanagan Centre Road West in Lake Country. A tactical evacuation was done for a number of properties in several upslope areas of Okanagan Centre.

The Emergency Operations Centre is supporting Lake Country fire crews on this fire. Fire crews and equipment from Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland, Ellison, Joe Rich, Armstrong and BX Swan Lake fire departments along with BC Wildfire Service air and ground support.

Justine Hunse from the BC Wildfire Service says crews are responding to wildfire north of McKinley Landing on the east side of Okanagan Lake. The last estimate was 30 hectares in size and they are assisting the Lake Country Fire Dept. The Service has 11 fixed winged aircraft, one helicopter and ground crews. She says structures are threatened. The fire is showing rank 3 behavior which is a vigorous surface fire potentially with some candling.

Lake Country Fire Chief Steve Windsor at 8:26 pm:

“We are expanding the (evacuation) alert area. We’ve done a fair amount of evacuations, but were putting people on alert for quite a bit bigger area, so the RCMP and Search and Rescue are handling that. We’ve just done a containment area, what we think could be impacting, so it’s probably another kilometre beyond the fire line. Windsor says the fire is still about 10% contained.

Update: 8:26 pm

Fire Chief Steve Windsor with the latest on evacuations and fire containment

An Emergency Support Services reception centre is open for residents evacuated as a result of this afternoon’s fire in Lake Country.

ESS volunteers are available to help register residents now at the existing reception centre at the Kelowna Salvation Army Church, 1480 Sutherland Avenue at Burtch Road and Sutherland Avenue. Those people out of their homes must attend the reception centre in person to register for assistance and group lodging.

Air and ground crews are working this blaze which was reported just after 4:30 this afternoon above Okanagan Centre Road West in Lake Country. A tactical evacuation was done for a number of properties in several upslope areas of Okanagan Centre.

The Emergency Operations Centre is supporting Lake Country fire crews on this fire. Fire crews and equipment from Kelowna, West Kelowna and Ellison fire departments along with BC Wildfire Service air support are assisting on this fire.

Officials stated that the fire started on Okanagan Centre Road and has quickly spread due to the winds off of the lake. As a result a number of evacuations have been issued — said to be in the hundreds at the moment — and will continue as officials see necessary.

Vernon, Lake Country, and Kelowna are all providing resources including RCMP from all three detachments, Lake Country Fire, Kelowna Fire, and Provincial Search & Rescue.

RCMP are asking the public to avoid the area at this time in order for officials to evacuate residents as efficiently as possible.

Grass fire north of McKinley Landing on Okanagan Centre Road West. Emergency Operations Center has been activated. Lake Country fire responding at this point.

The Emergency Operations Centre has been activated to support Lake Country fire crews fighting a spreading grass fire in Okanagan Centre.
A tactical evacuation is underway for some homes in the area of the fire along Okanagan Centre Road West.

Ground and air crews are involved in fighting the blaze reported shortly after 4:30 this afternoon.
New information will be released as soon as it becomes available.